Tottenham 2 Barcelona 2 (3-5 on penalties): Malcom seals spot-kick win after Spurs’ stunning comeback forced shoot-out in Pasadena
Two sides produce thriller despite missing many of their established stars, with Mauricio Pochettino's men clawing their way back into game after being 2-0 down in second half
MALCOM was Barca’s penalty shootout hero to ruin Tottenham’s stunning comeback.
The La Liga champs were coasting to victory thanks to first-half goals by Munir El Haddadi and Arthur.
But two goals in two second-half minutes from Heung-Min Son and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou took this International Champions Cup tie to a penalty shootout.
And after Spurs academy product Anthony Georgiou had seen his spot-kick saved by Barca keeper Jasper Cillessen, Brazilian winger Malcom netted to give the Spaniards a hard-fought victory.
It was a dramatic ending to an entertaining clash watched by a crowd of 66,805 at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
With Tottenham without their nine World Cup semi-finalists and Barcelona missing all of their stars who played in the knockout phase of Russia 2018, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, this clash had a decidedly second-string feel about it.
Tottenham made two changes to the team that started the 4-1 win over Roma on Thursday with Paulo Gazzaniga replacing Michel Vorm and Heung-Min Son in for the injured Erik Lamela in a 4-3-3.
Victor Wanyama was again missing after suffering a recurrence of the knee injury that blighted his campaign last season.
It was the first time Tottenham wore their new home kit with white shorts instead of blue.
You have to say it was not a good look as the faded blue band on the bottom of the shirt made it look as though the players’ shorts were falling down.
Lucas Moura, who scored twice against Roma, lit up this clash as he beat five Barca players in a stunning solo run.
But it was the Spanish giants who threatened more in the opening stages and after Denis Suarez had fired high and wide with only Gazzaniga to beat, they took a 15th-minute lead.
Sergi Roberto’s diagonal cross to the far post was headed across goal by Rafinha and El Haddadi stooped to nod home.
Nelson Semedo then went close to adding a second but his powerful shot was beaten away by Gazzaniga at his near post.
But there was nothing Tottenham’s Argentinean keeper could do as Arthur swept in a brilliant 25-yard curling shot to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute.
Christian Eriksen then had a 30-yard free kick parried by Barca keeper Cillessen.
Tottenham suffered another blow when Moussa Sissoko limped off with a hamstring injury in the 35th minute.
Spurs sent on defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Oliver Skipp for Kyle Walker-Peters and Fernando Llorente during the break.
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The Londoners almost pulled a goal back when Eriksen hit the post with 25 yard free-kick.
Barcelona new-boy Malcom, who was once linked with a move to Tottenham, was one of many second-half subs and he went close to making it 3-0 with a shot into the side-netting.
But Son sparked an unlikely comeback as he pulled one back for Tottenham in the 73rd minute with a neat finish after Eriksen had seen his close-range shot blocked.
N’Koudou then made it 2-2 two minutes later when he lashed the ball home from close range after Barca defender Jorge Cuenca had blocked rookie midfielder Anthony Georgiou’s shot on the line.
So the match went to penalties. Sergi Palencia netted Barca’s first and Son did likewise for Spurs.
Abel Ruiz then converted the Catalans’ second and Ben Davies levelled.
Monchu made it 3-2 in the shootout with another fine spot kick before Georgiou’s penalty was saved by Cillessen.
Suarez scored Barca’s fourth pen and Sanchez replied to take it to the last round. But Malcom netted Barcelona’s fifth penalty to give them victory.
Tottenham: Gazzaniga (Vorm 61); Aurier, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Walker-Peters (Sanchez 46); Sissoko (N’Koudou 35), Amos, Eriksen; Moura (Georgiou 61), Llorente (Skipp 46), Son. Subs not used: Ayoma, Marsh, Whiteman.